Author: Friends of Socialist China

Ma Hui meets friends from Guyana and Mexico

Vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC) Ma Hui recently met with visitors from Guyana and Mexico.

On October 15, he met with Donald Ramotar, Member of the Executive Committee of the People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) and former President of Guyana, along with Clement Rohee, former Foreign Minister of Guyana.

Ma said that the CPC is willing to strengthen experience exchange in state governance and administration with the PPP/C and jointly build a new type of inter-party relationship featuring seeking common ground while reserving differences, mutual respect and mutual learning.

Ramotar thanked China for its valuable support for Guyana’s economic and social development and highly praised Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era — the latest achievements of the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, and its global significance.

The Guyanese friends were visiting at the invitation of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA).

Two days previously, Ma had met with Alberto Anaya, President of the Labour Party (PT) of Mexico.

Ma said, China and Mexico are both important countries in the Global South. The CPC attaches great importance to friendly relations with all Mexican political parties, including the Labour Party, and is willing to strengthen inter-party exchanges and cooperation to promote the healthy development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Mexico.

Anaya said, China’s development is rapid and its achievements are obvious to all. The rich experience of the CPC in party building and state governance is worth learning from. The Labour Party values its traditional friendship with the CPC and is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties to contribute to the development of Mexico-China relations and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

The PT is part of the progressive ruling coalition in Mexico. Anaya was in Beijing on his way home from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) where he had participated in the 80th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).

The following articles were originally published on the website of the IDCPC.

Ma Hui Meets with Donald Ramotar, Member of the Executive Committee of the People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) and Former President of Guyana

Beijing, October 15th (IDCPC) – Ma Hui, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today Donald Ramotar, Member of the Executive Committee of the People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) and former President of Guyana, who was visiting China at the invitation of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking highly of the PPP/C and Ramotar for their positive contributions to promoting China-Guyana relations and inter-party exchanges between the two countries, Ma said, China is willing to work with Guyana to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the continuous development of China-Guyana relations. The CPC is willing to strengthen experience exchange in state governance and administration with the PPP/C and jointly build a new type of inter-party relationship featuring seeking common ground while reserving differences, mutual respect and mutual learning.

Ramotar thanked China for its valuable support for Guyana’s economic and social development and highly praised Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era—the latest achievements of the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, and its global significance. He said, the PPP/C is willing to strengthen exchanges of ideas and experience with the CPC and jointly promote the development of the global cause of justice.

Clement Rohee, former Foreign Minister of Guyana, was present.

Ma Hui Meets with Alberto Anaya, President of the Labor Party of Mexico

Beijing, October 13th (IDCPC) – Ma Hui, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today with Alberto Anaya, President of the Labor Party of Mexico.

Ma said, China and Mexico are both important countries in the Global South. Win-win cooperation is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples. The CPC attaches great importance to friendly relations with all Mexican political parties, including the Labor Party, and is willing to strengthen inter-party exchanges and cooperation to promote the healthy development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Mexico.

Anaya said, China’s development is rapid and its achievements are obvious to all. The rich experience of the CPC in party building and state governance is worth learning from. The Labor Party values its traditional friendship with the CPC and is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties to contribute to the development of Mexico-China relations and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

JVP delegation visits China

A delegation of senior cadres from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP – People’s Liberation Front of Sri Lanka) recently visited China. The JVP is Sri Lanka’s largest Marxist party and currently the core party in its governing coalition. The delegation was led by Bimal Rathnayake, Member of the Political Bureau of the JVP and Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation of Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan visitors met with Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC), on October 17.

Liu said, in January this year, President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and reached important consensus on building a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future and deepening exchanges of governance experience between the two countries’ ruling parties, charting the course for the development of the relations between the two countries and the two Parties. The CPC is willing to continue to strengthen high-level exchanges with the JVP and assist practical cooperation between the two countries and promote people-to-people bonds through the inter-party channel.

Rathnayake said, the JVP values the friendly exchanges with the CPC and thanks China for its valuable support for Sri Lanka’s economic and social development. Under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in economic development, anti-corruption and other areas. The successful practice of the CPC has convinced Sri Lanka that strong party leadership is the key to a country’s development and progress. The JVP is committed to maintaining close high-level exchanges with the CPC, learning from its experience and practices in strengthening party building and promoting national development, and conducting in-depth exchanges and cooperation in areas such as cadre training, smart city construction, poverty reduction, and promoting ethnic unity, in order to enhance the JVP’s own governance capacities and work hand in hand with China to advance the modernisation process of the two countries.

The following article was first published on the website of the IDCPC.

Beijing, October 17th (IDCPC) – Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation of senior cadres of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) from Sri Lanka led by Bimal Rathnayake, Member of the Political Bureau of the JVP and Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation of Sri Lanka.

Liu said, in January this year, President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and reached important consensus on building a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future and deepening exchanges of governance experience between the two countries’ ruling parties, charting the course for the development of the relations between the two countries and the two Parties. The CPC is willing to continue to strengthen high-level exchanges with the JVP, and assist practical cooperation between the two countries and promote people-to-people bonds through the inter-party channel. Liu shared the great process and successful experience of the CPC in leading the advancement of Chinese modernization, and introduced the main agenda of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He said, formulating and implementing national development plans is an important piece of governance experience of the CPC. The political parties of China and Sri Lanka can have in-depth exchanges on formulating medium-and long-term development plans and promoting national modernization, so as to promote better alignment of the two countries’ strategies and plans. 

Rathnayake said, the JVP values the friendly exchanges with the CPC and thanks China for its valuable support for Sri Lanka’s economic and social development. Under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in economic development, anti-corruption and other areas. The successful practice of the CPC has convinced Sri Lanka that strong party leadership is the key to a country’s development and progress. The JVP is committed to maintaining close high-level exchanges with the CPC, learning from its experience and practices in strengthening party building and promoting national development, and conducting in-depth exchanges and cooperation in areas such as cadre training, smart city construction, poverty reduction, and promoting ethnic unity, in order to enhance JVP’s own governance capacities and work hand in hand with China to advance the modernization process of the two countries. 

Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, was present. 

Indian communists visit China

Between September 23-30, a six-person delegation from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), India’s biggest communist party, led by General Secretary MA Baby, visited China. Besides Beijing, the delegation visited the provinces of Hubei and Zhejiang.

Baby first visited China in 1985, but this was his first visit since he assumed the leadership of the party following the untimely death of Sitaram Yechury. He recounted the visit in two articles for People’s Democracy, the CPI(M)’s English language weekly. Indicating a key lesson that Indian communists have learned from their Chinese comrades, he writes:

“China lifted 800 million people above the poverty line as defined by the World Bank. Incidentally, it needs to be mentioned that taking inspiration from this example, and in an effort to address the material circumstances of the state, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala has taken up a progressive initiative to eradicate extreme poverty. By November, Kerala will become the first Indian state to do so.”

He also marvelled at the Museum of the History of the Communist Party of China (CPC), opened in July 2021 to mark the party’s centenary:

“The museum is a prime example of how a nation’s and a party’s history can be presented using cutting-edge science and technology. In the museum, the story of the CPC’s century-long journey, from its formation to modern-day achievements, is presented with the help of digital and immersive tools.”

On the substantive business of the visit, Baby reports:

“Several bilateral discussions were held during the visit. The most prominent among them was the discussion with a delegation of the CPC leadership, led by their Polit Bureau member Li Shulei. That meeting reaffirmed the deep and long-standing ties between the CPC and the CPI(M). Both parties recognise that the US State, under President Donald Trump, is trying to impose a unipolar world under its dominance. ‘Countries of the South’ — developing nations — need to stand together to resist this. In this context, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) 2025 Summit in Tianjin was particularly taken note of.

“This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and China. Beyond cooperation within the SCO, both countries are playing their roles within BRICS as well. In the coming years, India and China are both set to hold the BRICS chairmanship, taking turns. The discussions stressed that India and China must resolve the issues between them through dialogue. Improving India-China relations would not only benefit both countries but also contribute to global peace and progress. Therefore, both sides must make patient and focused efforts toward de-escalating tensions along the border. It is serendipitous that during our visit certain significant developments were taking place towards this, such as the resumption of direct flights between India and China.”

Continue reading Indian communists visit China

Symposium held in London: New Development of China, New Opportunities for the World

On Friday 24 October 2025, the Chinese Embassy in the UK organised a symposium on the topic New Development of China, New Opportunities for the World. The symposium was focused on the complex and ever-changing international situation; the challenges facing the United Nations and multilateralism; and China’s recently-proposed Global Governance Initiative, which addresses itself to the critical issue of “how to build a global governance system and how to reform and improve global governance”.

The event introduced by Minister Zhao Fei, followed by a keynote speech by Ambassador Zheng Zeguang. Counsellor Mu Yongpeng provided an introduction to the Global Governance Initiative, and Counsellor Kong Xiangwen introduced China’s position on the questions of Taiwan and UN Resolution 2758.

British participants were then invited to contribute remarks:

  1. Robert Griffiths, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain
  2. Andy Brooks, General Secretary of the New Communist Party of Britain
  3. Stephen Perry, Honorary President of the 48 Group Club
  4. Martin Albrow, Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences
  5. Kerry Brown, Director of the Lau China Institute at Kings College, London
  6. Ollie Shiell, CEO of UK National Committee on China
  7. Frances Wood, Sinologist
  8. Keith Bennett, Co-editor of Friends of Socialist China
  9. Hugh Goodacre, Managing Director of Xi Jinping Thought Study Group
  10. Max Browning, Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University
  11. Janet St John-Austen, Director of Xi Jinping Thought Study Group
  12. Carlos Martinez, Co-editor of Friends of Socialist China
  13. George Korkovelos, Central Committee Member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)

We reproduce below the Embassy’s report of the event, followed by the contributions by Keith Bennett and Carlos Martinez.

Ambassador Zheng Zeguang Briefs Representatives of Different Sectors in the UK on the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee

On 24 October 2025, the Chinese Embassy in the UK held a symposium on “New Development of China, New Opportunities for the World” to brief participants on the important decisions made by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang delivered a keynote speech at the symposium. Representatives of several UK political parties and those from different sectors attended the symposium and joined in the discussions.

In his speech, Ambassador Zheng noted that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee comes at a time when China is marching towards the second Centenary Goal and represents a call to action for the entire country to seize the momentum and advance Chinese modernisation.

With this meeting, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core sets to unite and lead the Chinese people to write yet another chapter on the miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability and to open up new horizons for Chinese modernisation.

Ambassador Zheng pointed out that the meeting has identified the critical role the next five years will play in China’s development. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has achieved pioneering progress, breakthrough transformation, and historic accomplishments in its economic and social development. Over these five years, China has reached new heights in terms of economic, scientific and technological capabilities, and composite national strength. China’s economy will grow by about 4 trillion pounds.

carlosmartinez

Free Mumia Campaign discusses China and the international anti-imperialist struggle

On Sunday October 19 the Free Mumia Abu Jamal Campaign UK organised a discussion meeting on the theme of China and the international anti-imperialist struggle at International House in Brixton, south London.

Chaired by Sarah Mudd and introduced by Wilf Dixon of the Free Mumia Campaign, the meeting heard three presentations expressing differing views within a common overall anti-imperialist perspective:

  • Our Co-editor Keith Bennett spoke on ‘China and the global struggle against imperialism today’;
  • Cecil Gutzmore, Chair of the Free Mumia Campaign and veteran revolutionary Pan-Africanist, spoke on ‘Judeo-Christendom’s racism and the global anti-China movement’; and
  • Andy Higginbottom, former Assistant Professor at Kingston University, London, and a long-standing anti-imperialist activist and Marxist scholar, spoke on ‘Neo-colonialism still matters – Militarisation and Imperial Grand Strategy (US v. China)’.

The presentations were followed by a lively discussion and informal networking. We embed below a video of the three speeches, followed by the text of Keith Bennett’s presentation.

I’d like to thank the Free Mumia Abu Jamal Campaign UK for their initiative in organising this discussion on China and the international anti-imperialist struggle and for inviting me to speak.

Some might ask why a campaign such as yours might wish to address such a topic. But such a view could be said to not fully take account of why you have – correctly in my view – placed such importance on Mumia’s case and on the necessity to win the freedom of this revolutionary fighter who has endured some 43 years of incarceration in the hell hole conditions of the US prison system without losing his revolutionary faith and will or his original aspiration.

Whether before or throughout his long imprisonment, Mumia’s writings have expressed unwavering solidarity with the struggles of peoples throughout the world against imperialism. In his early teens, he joined the Black Panther Party. Many things distinguished the Panthers, of course – from armed self-defence to free breakfast programs for children to clinics to treat sickle cell anaemia. But equally distinctive was the strong solidarity the party expressed, and the inspiration it drew from, the Asian socialist countries – from China, Vietnam and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). From their long-standing, protracted struggles against imperialism. And from their revolutionary standpoint and their creative application and development of Marxism-Leninism from the standpoint of the oppressed.

Continue reading Free Mumia Campaign discusses China and the international anti-imperialist struggle

Understanding the changes unseen in a century

The following text is based on a presentation given by Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez at the Thinkers Forum, held at Fudan University, Shanghai, on 16 October 2025, which event brought together thinkers and scholars from around the world to discuss “Global Changes and the Reshaping of the World Order.”

Carlos explores the meaning of Xi Jinping’s observation that “the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century”, arguing that these changes reflect a historic shift from Western-led unipolar dominance toward a multipolar, post-imperialist global order. The article traces these changes back to the October Revolution of 1917, which opened a new era of socialist development and anti-colonial liberation.

After the setbacks of the 1980s and 1990s — including the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of neoliberal globalisation — Western commentators like Francis Fukuyama declared “the end of history”. Yet, as Deng Xiaoping noted, history advances through contradictions and reversals. The 2008 financial crisis, widening inequality and environmental collapse have since exposed the limits of neoliberal capitalism.

Meanwhile, a multipolar world is emerging. China stands at the centre of this process, advancing initiatives such as the Belt and Road, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative — all based on sovereignty, non-interference, and mutual benefit. Such efforts are helping countries of the Global South break from dependency and pursue sustainable, sovereign development.

The US and its allies, meanwhile, cling to hegemony through wars, sanctions, economic coercion and destabilisation. Humanity faces a stark choice: socialism or barbarism, cooperation or confrontation. Carlos concludes by calling for a global united front of socialist, anti-imperialist, and progressive forces to ensure that this century’s transformations lead to peace, justice, and sustainable development.

Carlos’s presentation was summarised in the popular Chinese news website Guancha.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has observed several times that “the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century”. What are these changes, and what are their implications for the current global situation?

Before addressing the changes the world is experiencing today, it is worthwhile reflecting on the major changes that occurred a century ago, since the dramatic shifts of that time laid the foundations for the transformations we are witnessing now.

The October Revolution of 1917 was a watershed moment marking the beginning of humanity’s transition from capitalism to socialism. The revolution in Russia led to the formation of the world’s first socialist state – the Soviet Union – which became a revolutionary base area for the working class and oppressed peoples of the world. The Soviet Union provided crucial support for the liberation of, and construction of socialism in, Eastern Europe, China, Cuba, Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere.

The Soviet Union and China played the decisive role in the defeat of fascism in World War II. This victory gave tremendous impetus to the anti-colonial movement and national liberation struggles around the world – in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The colonial system was no longer viable.

As such, the October Revolution constituted the first major breach in the imperialist world system, thereby marking the start of the current era of human development.

Continue reading Understanding the changes unseen in a century

Intelligence artificial, profits fictitious

In the following article for Struggle La Lucha, Gary Wilson argues that the US economy’s apparent strength is illusory, sustained not by genuine productivity or innovation but by speculation — particularly around artificial intelligence. He describes the so-called AI revolution as a massive financial bubble: stock prices have soared far beyond the real value produced by technology or labour, echoing the speculative manias of the past.

The author observes that capitalism’s need for constant expansion drives investors to seek new frontiers when previous ones — such as smartphones and social media — stagnate. Artificial intelligence, and especially the dream of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), has become the latest speculative frontier, attracting trillions in investment despite limited real-world returns. Big tech companies have seen valuations reach absurd levels, even as AI products remain unprofitable.

This “fictitious prosperity”, built on credit and hype, fuses finance capital with US imperial ambitions. The military, intelligence agencies and tech monopolies now form a military-tech-industrial complex, with AI development justified in terms of national security and global dominance. “Silicon Valley has metastasized into a merger of big capital, big tech, and big war. The empire’s newest weapon isn’t a missile — it’s the algorithm.”

In contrast, China treats AI as a practical tool for production — applying it to manufacturing, logistics, and energy — rather than a casino for speculative profit.

China, by contrast, is treating AI not as a casino chip but as a tool. Instead of betting on abstract intelligence for future profit, China applies AI to real sectors — manufacturing, logistics, energy, and urban planning… While the U.S. bankrolls hype, China retools for production. This isn’t just a tech race — it’s a clash between two systems: finance-driven capitalism versus planned development.

The author was among the speakers at our webinar on DeepSeek and the challenge to US technological hegemony, held in February 2025.

The U.S. economy isn’t booming — it’s levitating. What keeps it up isn’t productivity or innovation, but speculation.

The so-called “AI revolution,” hailed as a new industrial dawn, is in reality a massive bubble — a speculative fever driving stock prices far beyond what the technology can actually deliver.

The anatomy of a bubble

A speculative bubble forms when the price of something — like tech stocks — rises far beyond its real, sustainable value. 

That real value comes not from market hype or quick profits, but from workers’ labor power — their capacity to create more value than they’re paid for.

But in a bubble, prices rise not because real production or value creation is expanding, but because investors are chasing promises — each betting that someone else will pay even more for the same asset.

The pattern isn’t accidental. It’s built into capitalism itself.

Step one: Capital needs to expand

Capitalism runs on an “expand or die” engine. Every firm must grow constantly to survive — outspending, outproducing, and out-innovating its rivals.

When one wave of growth slows, capital hunts for another.

Continue reading Intelligence artificial, profits fictitious

Inside the early push to revolutionise marriage in China

The following article, originally published in Sixth Tone, describes how, 75 years ago, the newly founded People’s Republic of China passed its first law — the 1950 Marriage Law — signalling the revolutionary state’s commitment to social transformation and gender equality. This law took priority because reforming marriage was seen as essential to dismantling feudal traditions that subordinated women and sustained patriarchal family structures. The new legislation enshrined freedom of marriage, monogamy, and gender equality, fundamentally redefining Chinese family life.

However, implementation of the law was predictably complicated. Deep-rooted conservative attitudes persisted, and early inspections revealed violent resistance to reform. Recognising the need for widespread education, the Communist Party launched China’s first national legal awareness campaign. Propaganda posters, songs, illustrated guides, and plays — including new versions of traditional stories like The Butterfly Lovers and Southeast Flies the Peacock — promoted the ideals of free marriage and women’s liberation in accessible, culturally resonant forms.

By 1953, the campaign reached its peak during the “Month of Promoting the Implementation of the Marriage Law,” with factories, schools, and workplaces across China holding lectures, exhibitions, and radio broadcasts.

Though the national campaign formally ended in 1953, its impact was enduring. The Marriage Law not only transformed Chinese social relations but also marked the beginning of a state-led effort to educate citizens in law and equality, embedding women’s rights in the foundations of the new China. While the road to equality and an end to discrimination is a long one, China continues to make impressive progress.

Seventy-five years ago, the People’s Republic of China issued its first law. It wasn’t the Constitution, nor was it the Civil Code — it was the Marriage Law.

This unique level of importance reflected the times. In revolutionary China, marriage reform was a major subject among early 20th-century intellectuals, who felt feudal concepts of family and marriage significantly stifled the individual freedoms of Chinese people — especially women — and hindered their participation in reshaping China. While choosing a partner to marry may be the status quo now, for centuries, families arranged marriages, divorce was rare, and women were subordinate to their husbands. As legal historian Qu Tongzu wrote in the book “Law and Society in Traditional China,” the main purpose of marriage in Imperial China was “to produce offspring to carry on ancestor worship” and was in no way concerned with the couple’s wishes.

Continue reading Inside the early push to revolutionise marriage in China

China’s technology infrastructure is blazing a trail for humanity

The following is the text of a speech given by Alessandro Zancan (a member of the Iskra Books editorial board and Friends of Socialist China Britain’s committee) at a China delegation report back meeting held in Brighton on 13 September 2025.

Ale reflects on China’s development over recent decades, arguing that its people-oriented use of technology is central to the country’s success in a number of fields. Platforms like WeChat and AliPay integrate public and private services efficiently and securely, while Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT exemplifies China’s push for seamless, cooperative, and non-exploitative tech ecosystems. This state-led coordination underpins achievements in pandemic control, renewable energy and poverty alleviation.

China’s poverty eradication, powered by data systems, digital infrastructure and rural electrification, is the fruit not of charity but of socialist planning and collective effort.

The article concludes that China’s dialectical approach to socialism — pragmatic, adaptive, and technologically advanced — offers lessons for Marxists worldwide: to study China’s experience, challenge Western narratives, and develop their own independent, cooperative platforms for knowledge building, dissemination and coordination.

Quick Rundown of Trip

At the end of May and through the beginning of June, delegates from various organisations, including Iskra Books, the Communist Party of Britain, the Young Communist League, Black Liberation Alliance, Qiao Collective, Freedom Road Socialist Organisation and Workers World Party went on a trip to China, as members of Friends of Socialist China’s Britain and US committees. We were graciously invited and hosted by the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE).

Shaanxi

Our first stop was in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, by way of a short layover in Shanghai. We saw the Terracotta Army in Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum and we visited the Xi’an City Wall.

We wandered a bit on our own, and experienced the city as tourists, before moving on to Yan’an – the main centre of the Chinese Revolution from the conclusion of the Long March in 1935 until the late 1940s – where we visited the Revolutionary Memorial Hall and the CPC base. We actually got to enter Mao Zedong’s, Zhou Enlai’s and Liu Shaoqi’s cave houses, along with the 7th National Congress Hall.

Gansu

In Dunhuang, Gansu province, we attended a number of meetings and conferences, headlined by the Fourth Dialogue on Exchanges and Mutual Learning Among Civilisations, where we got to meet delegates from all over the world. We visited one of China’s biggest solar parks; we saw the stunning Mogao Caves; and attended the Dragon Boat Festival celebration in the Gobi Desert. It was truly breathtaking, and nothing else I have seen in my life can truly compare.

We then moved to Jiayuguan, where we visited a dairy farm and a number of museums; had a wine tasting from one of Asia’s largest wine producers; visited the JISCO Smart Grid and Localised New Energy Consumption Demonstration Project; and got to see the westernmost point of the Great Wall. Multiple projectors lined the walls, projecting animations of historical events, mapped to the structure of each fortress and individual wall.

Continue reading China’s technology infrastructure is blazing a trail for humanity

Support for government in China: is the data accurate?

A wide range of surveys consistently show that Chinese people express exceptionally high levels of trust and satisfaction with their government and political system—far higher than in most other countries. The World Values Survey (2018) found that 94.6% of Chinese respondents trusted their national government, while the Asian Barometer Survey (2015) reported 86.7%. Harvard’s Ash Center likewise recorded 93% satisfaction with the national government and 82% with provincial authorities. The Alliance for Democracies (2024) found that 91% of respondents in China believed the government serves the interests of most people, with 85% saying all people enjoy equal rights before the law, compared to much lower figures in Western nations.

Nonetheless, writes Jason Hickel on his Substack blog, “skeptics have questioned the data, saying that respondents may overstate support for their government if they live in a system where they are likely to fear repression for expressing political dissent”. To test this, researchers have used “list experiments”, which allow respondents to answer anonymously. These studies found somewhat lower but still very high levels of trust, ranging from 62% to 77%—well above the figures for the US (33%), France (31%) and Britain (29%).

Other methods, such as Implicit Association Tests, show that implicit and explicit trust levels in China are nearly identical, indicating that political fear does not explain the results. As such, the evidence suggests that Chinese people’s reported trust in their government is genuine. Hickel writes:

These studies point to an important reality that we must grapple with: the Chinese people have a much higher regard for their government, and much higher support for their political and economic system, than people in the West tend to assume.

The reasons for this level of popular support is explained in a previous post by Jason Hickel: that “most people in China believe their political system is democratic, fair, and serves the interests of the people”; and that “what matters most when it comes to people’s perceptions of democracy is not whether their country has Western-style elections, but whether they believe their government acts in the interest of most people”.

The full text of Hickel’s article is republished below.

A wide range of public opinion surveys and studies over the past years have demonstrated that people in China tend to express strikingly strong support for their government and their political-economic system, much higher than in most other countries.

For instance, the World Values Survey consistently shows that over 90% of people in China report “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of trust in the national government. In 2018, the most recent wave, trust was at 94.6%, one of the highest levels in the world. This result is supported by the Asian Barometer Survey, which in 2015 found 86.7% of respondents in China had “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of trust in the national government.

Similarly, Harvard’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance has conducted regular surveys on public opinion in China since 2003. It finds that, in the most recent year of data, satisfaction with the national government stood at 93%, having generally increased over time. Satisfaction with provincial governments was also high at 82%.

Next, the Danish NGO Alliance for Democracies publishes data on people’s perceptions of their political systems in over 50 countries. According to the most recent report (2024), people in China have positive views of their political system, with 91% saying that the government serves the interests of most people (rather than a small group), and 85% saying all people enjoy equal rights before the law, much higher than in the US, France and Britain.

Finally, a recent study published in the journal Political Psychology asked people in 42 countries whether they think their system is fair and just. They used the following questions: “In general, I find society to be fair”, “In general my country’s political system operates as it should”, “Everyone in my country has a fair shot at wealth and happiness”, and “My country’s society is set up so that people usually get what they deserve.” The results show that people in China are more likely to agree with these statements than any other country in the set.

These are all remarkable results. But skeptics have questioned the data, saying that respondents may overstate support for their government if they live in a system where they are likely to fear repression for expressing political dissent. In behavioural psychology, this is known as “strategic misreporting”. The Alliance for Democracies study is designed to avoid this bias, but other studies may be more vulnerable.

Continue reading Support for government in China: is the data accurate?

Xi Jinping meets with heads of state and government attending Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women

Following the 2025 Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, which was held in Beijing on October 13, Chinese President Xi Jinping met the following day with the five heads of state or government – four of them women – who had attended.

Meeting with President of Dominica Sylvanie Burton, President Xi noted that Dominica is China’s good friend and good partner in the Caribbean. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 20 years ago, the two sides have always respected each other and treated each other as equals. With ever consolidating political mutual trust, growing exchanges and cooperation in various fields and deepening friendship between the people, China and Dominica set a good example of friendly cooperation between countries of different social systems and sizes. China will continue supporting Dominica in enhancing capabilities in climate action and disaster prevention and mitigation, strengthen cooperation in such areas as infrastructure, clean energy, healthcare, agriculture and empowerment of women, and enhance people-to-people exchanges in culture, education and tourism. Efforts should be made to implement the consensus reached at the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women and deepen cooperation on women’s capacity building.

President Burton said that China is a great friend and highly valued partner of Dominica and appreciated China’s valuable support and sincere friendship. Dominica and China share common ideals and pursuits, and deepening bilateral relations will bring bright prospects for the people of Dominica. Dominica is steadfastly committed to the one-China principle. It will enhance cooperation with China in trade, agriculture, the green economy, new energy, healthcare, and climate response, among other areas, strengthen people-to-people exchanges, advance cooperation between Latin America and the Caribbean and China, and write a new chapter in bilateral relations. China is a crucial force for peace and stability in today’s world. Its vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and commitment to sharing development opportunities with the world and promoting solidarity among the Global South is inspiring and is a beacon of hope for the world. Dominica stands ready to work closely with China to oppose unilateralism and hegemonism and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

Meeting with Icelandic President Halla Tómasdóttir, President Xi noted that, over the past 54 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Iceland have respected each other and pursued win-win cooperation. The fruitful outcomes achieved in bilateral relations have fully shown that countries with different national conditions are fully capable of transcending differences in social system and other areas to achieve mutual benefit.

The two sides should deepen practical cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, geothermal energy and healthcare, and jointly promote green transition and address climate change. The two sides should also step up people-to-people exchanges in tourism, education and other fields to enhance friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples. Both China and Iceland support multilateralism, the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law. The two sides should strengthen communication and coordination, commit to addressing international disputes through dialogue and consultation, and strive for a more just and equitable global governance system. It is important to build on the successful convening of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women to promote continued progress in the global cause of women.

President Tómasdóttir congratulated China on the successful hosting of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women and appreciated China for the warm reception and full respect shown to a small country like Iceland. Iceland highly appreciates China’s significant contributions to promoting the global women’s cause and will strengthen communication and cooperation with China to advance the all-round development of women worldwide. Iceland and China have enjoyed friendship over decades. The strong and robust bilateral relationship has yielded fruitful results in such areas as trade, geothermal energy and tourism.

Continue reading Xi Jinping meets with heads of state and government attending Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women

The long march through the primary stage of socialism

The following is the text of a speech given by Eben Dombay Williams, YCL Education Officer, at our second annual Socialist China Conference, held on Saturday, September 27.

Eben’s speech is based primarily on a text he has been translating, written by an academic at a Chinese Marxist Institute in Shanghai, analysing the theoretical aspects of what is known in China as the primary stage of socialism. The article observes that socialism in China did not emerge from fully developed capitalism, as envisioned by Marx and Engels, but from a revolutionary leap over the “Caudine Forks” of capitalism. Because of China’s relatively undeveloped productive forces at the time of revolution, it must spend an extended historical period completing the modernisation tasks that capitalism would otherwise have accomplished.

The “primary stage” theory, formally defined at the CPC’s 13th National Congress, recognises that class struggle persists but does not constitute the principal contradiction in society. Currently, “the primary task is to energetically expand the commodity economy, raise labour productivity and gradually achieve modernisation of industry, agriculture, national defence, science and technology”.

The text notes that, in the first decades of Reform and opening up, a level of ideological confusion crept in. “Some of the differences between socialism and capitalism were to a certain extent concealed under the banner of ‘modernisation,’ and a series of problems and phenomena that were clearly contrary to socialist principles emerged in society. But since the new era, the Central Committee of the CPC with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has always emphasised the socialist nature of the Chinese road, continuing to follow the basic principles and core values of socialism in drawing up the strategy for China’s modernisation drive and always inserting socialist elements into this modernisation, leading the way to building a great modern socialist country in all respects and striving to promote an organic unity between socialism and modernisation.”

As it moves towards basic completion of the task of socialist modernisation by the middle of this century, China is breaking new ground in the development of Marxism. “The implications … are not only to provide another option for the path to modernisation for the vast number of developing countries, including other socialist countries, but also to present a new solution to the problems of modernity for the developed capitalist countries, that is, the socialist road out.”

The video of the speech is embedded below the text.

I’d first like to give a massive thank-you to Carlos, Keith and the whole team at Friends of Socialist China. It’s so encouraging to see that following on from the successful 75th anniversary celebrations last year, this has now become an annual conference. It’s no small feat to bring multiple socialist and communist organisations on the left together under one roof, but it’s so important that we reject petty sectarianism and unite to build an anti-imperialist united front in the face of attacks on socialist China and the multipolar world. Of course, solidarity with George Galloway and his wife Gayatri on their shameful detention.

In my day job, I work as a Chinese to English translator and it just so happened that when I was invited to speak on the subject of socialist construction in China, I was in the middle of translating an important text written by an academic at a Chinese Marxist Institute in Shanghai. This text focuses on the theoretical aspects of what the CPC has termed the “primary stage of socialism” and will hopefully be appearing in a future edition of Iskra Books’ theoretical journal, Peace, Land, and Bread next year. I wanted to share a small extract of the text because I found it very interesting and relevant:

Theoretically speaking, socialism is not being constructed in China on the exact same basis envisioned by Marx and Engels and fully expanded upon in Capital. Instead, it has been reached directly under conditions where capitalism has not fully developed, where political power was seized through revolution at the appropriate historical moment, and where the “Caudine Forks” of the capitalist system was leaped across,” with “Caudine Forks” being the term Marx used in his prophetic wisdom to describe the problem of a potential, future socialist society attempting to skip over the capitalist stage after a successful proletarian revolution.

Continue reading The long march through the primary stage of socialism

Red goes green: witnessing the truth of China’s ‘ecological civilisation’

The following article by Morning Star editor Ben Chacko describes the reality of China’s pursuit of ecological civilisation, witnessed during a recent trip to the southwestern province of Yunnan, and contrasts it with the West’s hypocrisy: talking up the need for climate mitigation and adaptation whilst predictably sacrificing environmental regulation for economic growth.

Ben notes that China’s environmental record is contested: once the subject of widespread criticism for the pollution and greenhouse gas emissions connected with its rapid industrialisation, it has over the last 15 years made sustainability a central goal, lowering growth targets and embedding ecological protection in its five-year plans. The slogan “clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as mountains of silver and gold” is now a guiding principle across the country.

Ben writes that, at Erhai Lake in Dali, a major clean-up project begun in 2018 has restored biodiversity and water quality through state-led coordination — something, he argues, that would be impossible under Britain’s privatised water system. Similarly, conservation initiatives like the Yangtze Finless Porpoise Research Centre and a 10-year fishing ban have reversed biodiversity decline along China’s largest river.

The article also highlights the integration of ecological awareness with social policy: cooperatives in Yunnan’s nut industry and flower farming partnerships with Shanghai institutions have increased incomes while protecting local ecosystems.

Ben contrasts China’s progress — cleaner cities, renewable energy, efficient public transport, flourishing greenery — with Britain’s deterioration in infrastructure and environment. His conclusion is that China’s ecological civilisation is not mere rhetoric but a genuine effort to demonstrate that economic development and environmental protection can advance together in a rational, publicly coordinated economy.

This article was first published in the Morning Star on 9 October 2025.

Sustainable development is one of the world’s biggest challenges — can we raise living standards while protecting the environment and reducing emissions?

In Britain as in the United States, the answer increasingly appears to be “no” — with environmental regulation sacrificed in the name of growth.

China’s environmental record is contested: some paint it as a global villain, with the world’s highest carbon emissions (a point often used on the right to argue that there is no point in Western countries addressing climate change) while others point to its world-leader status in developing green technology including wind and solar power, electric vehicles and emission-reducing high-speed rail as a form of mass transit.

A common accusation after China began “reform and opening up” in 1978 was that the country pursued industrialisation and urbanisation without regard for nature, causing serious environmental degradation and pollution.

The Xi Jinping governments from 2011 announced a changed approach, lowering growth targets and shifting the emphasis of five-year plans to sustainability, which involved social factors (strengthening the welfare state, reducing inequality and eliminating absolute poverty) but also a greater focus on protecting the environment.

This concept took formal shape with 2018’s announcement that China was building an “ecological civilisation” and Xi’s declaration that “clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as mountains of silver and gold” was something we saw posted on billboards and heard on the lips of local leaders throughout the Morning Star’s trip to the country’s south-western Yunnan province this month.

Is it rhetoric or is it real? Our experience suggested China continues to face huge challenges, but is — as in most policy fields — more innovative and more ambitious than Western governments.

Continue reading Red goes green: witnessing the truth of China’s ‘ecological civilisation’

Premier Li Qiang joins celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang

The Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), celebrated its 80th founding anniversary on October 10.

Congratulating his Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the WPK, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), wrote that over the past 80 years, the WPK has united and led the people of the DPRK to forge ahead and overcome difficulties, making impressive achievements in advancing their socialist cause.

In recent years, Comrade General Secretary has led the Party and people of the DPRK to work relentlessly to strengthen party building, develop the economy and improve people’s livelihood, he said.

Xi wished that under the strong leadership of the WPK headed by Comrade General Secretary, the socialist cause of the DPRK will continue to achieve new accomplishments, and the country will greet the successful convening of the WPK’s 9th Congress.

Noting that both China and the DPRK are socialist countries led by communist parties, Xi said that in recent years, he has held multiple meetings with Kim to guide and steer the development of relations between the two parties and two countries, opening a new chapter in the China-DPRK friendship.

Xi also recalled Kim’s recent visit to China to attend the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, during which the two leaders had in-depth discussions and charted the course for further developing the friendly and cooperative relations between China and the DPRK.

No matter how the international situation changes, it remains the unwavering policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to maintain, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations, Xi noted.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, led a delegation of the Chinese party and government to attend the celebrations in the DPRK capital Pyongyang.

Upon arrival on October 9, Li said that China and the DPRK, as socialist neighbours connected by mountains and rivers, enjoy a profound traditional friendship.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance and personal efforts of General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Kim Jong Un, China-DPRK relations have been brimming with new dynamism and vitality, he said.

In September, General Secretary Kim came to China to attend the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War and the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries held another successful meeting and reached a series of important consensus, charting the course for the development of bilateral relations.

Li Qiang met with Kim Jong Un the same day.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese premier said that China is ready to work with the DPRK to further carry forward their traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation, and closely coordinate and cooperate in international and regional affairs.

Li also called on the two sides to strengthen multilateral collaboration, firmly safeguard and practice multilateralism, and promote the development of the international order in a more just and equitable direction.

Kim asked Li to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to General Secretary Xi and warmly welcomed the Chinese party and government delegation to the DPRK for the celebratory event, noting that under General Secretary Xi’s wise leadership, China has achieved tremendous accomplishments in socialist construction.

Continue reading Premier Li Qiang joins celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang

Sinister spy hysteria risks poisoning UK-China relations

The decision by Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to drop charges brought under the Official Secrets Act 1911 against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, far from drawing a line under the matter, has seen the country become engulfed in a wave of spy hysteria and mania redolent of the worst features of the US McCarthyite persecution in the 1950s. Whilst the script seems to owe more to Slow Horses than George Smiley, being rich in farcical ineptitude and improbable story lines, it is no less sinister for that.

For the unfortunate Cash and Berry, the always hypocritical claim that under the British justice system a person is ‘innocent until proven guilty’ has become a case of being ‘guilty despite being proven innocent’. Meanwhile, we see blatant acts of political interference by figures such as Ken McCallum, Director General of MI5, the Security Service, and blatant acts of political interference in the judicial process by figures in both the government and opposition parties. And whilst on the part of at least some players – certainly including the Conservative Party and the right wing press – the target of this campaign seems at times to be as much the Labour government as it is China, Starmer and members of his hapless and utterly mediocre administration are typically only capable of responding with a toxic cocktail of capitulation, disingenuity, incompetence, pusillanimity, counter-accusation and hypocrisy, serving only to perpetuate and compound their own deepening crisis, not to mention undermining the basis for stable, rational and mutually beneficial UK-China relations.

On October 16, the Spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in London responded to what it described as the “hype” over the issue, specifically the release of three CPS “witness statements”, a highly unusual move occasioned by an all too usual Starmer ‘u-turn’, and the trading of accusations by the Labour and Conservative parties, emphasising that the statements “are nothing but sheer fabrications made out of thin air.” The spokesperson added that:

“The attempt by some British politicians to smear China is doomed to fail. We urge the relevant parties in the UK to stop making an issue of China at every turn, stop hyping up anti-China narratives, and stop undermining China-UK relations.”

The same day, at the regular Foreign Ministry press conference in Beijing, spokesperson Lin Jian was asked several questions related to China-UK relations and responded to one from Bloomberg by stating: “The accusations are nothing but smears. We urge relevant personnel in the UK to stop their vilification and stop this kind of political manipulation.”

In a further post on the Chinese Embassy website the same day, the spokesperson responded to the provocative remarks made by the head of MI5, stating: “China does not pose a threat to any country, and has neither the intention nor the interest to interfere in the UK’s internal affairs. The UK’s intelligence agencies should focus on real security threats facing their own country rather than concoct and spread disinformation about China for ulterior political motives. Such actions are irresponsible and unprofessional. They will only further damage the credibility of the UK’s intelligence agencies.”

Amidst this atmosphere of growing and irrational hysteria, it was almost inevitable that new Housing Minister Steve Reed would yet again postpone a decision on planning permission for the new site of the Chinese Embassy, something that has been a political football for a number of years now, from 21 October to 10 December.

The Embassy Spokesperson stated: “We strongly deplore the UK’s repeated postponement of the approval deadline for the new Chinese Embassy project.

“It is an international obligation of the host country to provide support and facilitation for the construction of diplomatic premises. Both China and the UK have plans to build new embassies in each other’s capitals, and both sides should facilitate each other’s efforts.”

At the October 17 Foreign Ministry press conference, Lin Jian responded, again to Bloomberg, with remarks that appear to, not unreasonably, indicate a growing exasperation on the part of China:

“China expresses strong concern and opposition to the UK’s latest decision on the new Chinese embassy project, which has been put off by the UK for seven years. In the recent rounds of communication between the two sides for the early approval of the project, China has shown utmost sincerity and patience, while the UK over the years has shown a total lack of the spirit of contract, credibility and ethics, and has repeatedly put off the approval of the project citing various excuses and linked the project with other issues, constantly complicating and politicising the matter. That goes entirely against the UK’s commitments and previous remarks about improving China-UK relations. We once again call on the UK to fulfill its obligation and honor its commitments at once, otherwise the consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the UK side.”

In its editorial for October 15, the Morning Star described the whole affair as “a concocted controversy to shackle us to Trump” and noted that Cash and Berry, “have not even been afforded a trial by media: instead, the right-wing press, the Tory Party and even the Labour government have hurled themselves into a blame game in which their guilt is assumed and only the failure to jail them needs explaining.”

It adds: “The media storm is not really about the men in question. It is an attempt to derail any improvement in Britain-China relations, and is wholly political… This is a concerted political offensive designed to shackle Britain ever more closely to Donald Trump’s United States. Some hint at this openly, warning Labour that the White House will look askance if it hesitates to denounce Beijing.”

The same angle was also analysed in an article carried in the Chinese newspaper Global Times on 12 October, citing British media reports that, “the White House has sent a warning to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, claiming that Britain’s failure to prosecute the two alleged ‘China spies’ risks damaging their special relationship and jeopardising intelligence sharing between London and Washington.”

The paper quotes Cui Hongjian, a leading Chinese scholar of international relations, as pointing out that the US is forcing the UK to make a binary choice between the “special relationship with the US” and “improving relations with China,” which is, in essence, a threat to the UK’s policy autonomy.

Earlier, on 7 October, in his Opinion column in the South China Morning Post, Alex Lo analysed both the UK case and recent attacks on the Chinese community in Canada, writing:

“Both cases in the UK and Canada have many similarities. The security services in both countries pushed for them with flimsy evidence and went public with their allegations, effectively imputing guilt in the mind of the public. And anti-China politicians in both countries jumped on the bandwagon, thereby helping to build up momentum before anyone could or dare to challenge the basis of their charges or allegations.”

Regarding the British case, Alex notes: “The latest row over the case stems less from the alleged intelligence breach or its sudden collapse but more from the infighting between the Starmer cabinet and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the one hand, and MI5 and the Home Office, both of which are under the Home Secretary.

“Without even bothering to hide it, officials from MI5 and/or the Home Office appear to be providing background briefings to such outlets as the Financial Times, Sunday Times and The Telegraph, among others.”

The following articles were originally published on the website of the Chinese Embassy in London and by the Morning Star, Global Times and the South China Morning Post. The latter is republished with the kind permission of the author.

Embassy Spokesperson on the UK’s Hype over the So-called “China Spy Case”

October 16 (Embassy of China in the UK) – Question: For some time now, there has been repeated hype in the UK about the collapse of the so-called “China spy case”. The UK government said that it was disappointed by the CPS’ decision to drop the charges, and released three “witness statements” yesterday. There has also been finger-pointing between the government and opposition parties. What is your comment?

Embassy Spokesperson: We have emphasised from the outset that the allegation about China instructing the relevant British individuals to “steal British intelligence” is pure fabrication and malicious slander, which we firmly reject.

The so-called “witness statements” released after the CPS dropped the case are rife with unfounded accusations against China. They are nothing but sheer fabrications made out of thin air. We strongly condemn such acts.

Continue reading Sinister spy hysteria risks poisoning UK-China relations

China and climate – the question of leadership

The following is an expanded version of a talk given by London-based climate activist Paul Atkin at the Socialist China Conference 2025 on the subject of China’s leadership role in fighting climate breakdown.

The piece argues that climate change is no longer a distant eventuality but a present-day crisis. Drawing on IPCC science, Paul stresses we are already on a dangerous trajectory and in a decisive decade. China is directly suffering climate impacts including flooding, drought, heat deaths and crop yield loss, and as such has a compelling reason to lead on mitigation and adaptation. 

China frames its approach to environmental protection through the lens of ecological civilisation and the Two Mountains proposition popularised by Xi Jinping – that green mountains with clear water are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver. China’s political system, Paul contends, allows a centralised, state-driven push for renewable energy and clean infrastructure at scales and speeds that the capitalist world cannot easily emulate.

The country is now a global powerhouse in solar, wind, batteries and electric vehicles, and as a result its domestic emissions may already have peaked. China’s solar and wind installation rates are staggering: “Last year China installed as much renewable power in one year as the US has in its entire history, and this will accelerate.”

Abandoning overseas coal investments, China is helping developing countries leapfrog fossil dependency via exports of solar panels and other clean energy hardware.In contrast, Trump “is locking the US into a suicidal entrenchment in increasingly outmoded fossil fuel technology”.

The article concludes that China is emerging as the de facto climate leader, charting an urgently-needed path of sustainable development. The choice for the rest of the world is whether to hitch itself to the US’s fossil-fuel wagon or align with a cleaner, renewable-based future enabled in large part by China’s commitment, investment and innovation.

This article first appeared on Paul Atkin’s blog, Urban Ramblings. Below the text we embed the video of the speech.

I edit the Greener Jobs Alliance Newsletter and convene the National Education Union Climate Change Network, but am speaking in a personal capacity because both organisations contain a range of views about China and its role in climate change. These are mine.

Marx used to quote Hegel’s dictum that “The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of dusk” to note that people by and large learn from events only after they have happened. In the case of the climate crisis, dusk is falling already and we know what is happening. 

IPCC Reports are very clear about the increase in greenhouse gases, the increase in global temperatures that arise from that, and the impacts are increasingly documented, as well as reported as they happen. We are experiencing it. It’s not a single cataclysm that may or may not happen some time in the future. It is happening now. Slowly from the point of view of political/electoral cycles, but with terrifying rapidity in geological terms; such that we are in a crucial decade in the century that will make or break human civilization. 

Continue reading China and climate – the question of leadership

China makes firm commitment to advancing the cause of women’s equality at a global level

On 13 October, the 2025 Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women was held in Beijing, on the theme One Shared Future: New and Accelerated Process for Women’s All-round Development. The meeting, co-hosted by China and UN Women, brought together numerous heads of state, government officials and representatives from several continents, and was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the groundbreaking United Nations World Conference on Women that took place in the city in 1995.

China has been a strong, persistent and active supporter of gender equality, adhering to Mao Zedong’s famous phrase that “women hold up half the sky”. As UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous has remarked, “China’s experience in promoting gender equality offers valuable lessons for the world.”

Gender disparity in education has essentially disappeared in China, with females making up 49 percent of the university student population. Women constitute 43 percent of the workforce, and are well-represented in every field, from science and technology to commerce, from politics to agriculture. Women also make up 31 percent of Communist Party members, a figure which has been steadily increasing in recent decades. Maternal mortality rate has reduced to 15.1 per 100,000 live births, a quarter of what it was 30 years ago. The average life expectancy for Chinese women is 81 years.

A robust legal framework has been constructed to protect and promote women’s rights, including the 1950 Marriage Law enshrining gender equality and marital freedom; the 2016 Anti-Domestic Violence Law; and the 2022 revision of the Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests, which explicitly bans workplace discrimination. Meanwhile, campaigns raising awareness about women’s rights and opposing gender discrimination and bias have been implemented at all levels of the education system.

In his keynote address to the meeting, President Xi Jinping observed that women’s equality has become a global consensus:

Gender equality has been etched in the agenda of our times, galvanising the whole world in its unwavering pursuit of that goal… Equality between men and women is now a universal consensus of the international community. It has been included in United Nations development agenda and priority development targets, and 189 countries have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

He further noted that, “thanks to years of hard work, we have secured historic achievements and seen historic changes in the cause of women in China.”

We have reduced maternal mortality ratio by nearly 80 percent since 1995, and joined the leading upper-middle-income countries in core indicators for maternal and child health. Today, women in China truly “hold up half the sky” in economic and social development. They make up more than 40 percent of the workforce, more than half of internet start-up founders, and more than 60 percent of all medalists in the past four Summer Olympic Games. In the new era, Chinese women, more confident and vibrant than ever before, are taking part in the whole process of state and social governance. They are fighting on the front lines for rural revitalisation and common prosperity as well as scientific innovation and digital transition. They are writing a splendid history of the cause of women in China. On the new journey of Chinese modernisation, every woman is a star.

Nonetheless, there is a great deal of work remaining to be done in this field, both in China and globally. “Complex challenges still hamper women’s all-round development… Deep-rooted problems such as violence and discrimination still persist, the gender digital divide is widening, and equality between men and women remains a lofty yet arduous task.” Xi called on all countries to “improve mechanisms against violence and resolutely crack down on all forms of violence against women” and to “improve institutions and laws, introduce further tangible and accessible policy measures, channel more quality health and educational resources to all women, and strive to afford all women full and equal enjoyment of various rights”.

Xi’s speech concluded with a promise of substantial support for global projects in support of women’s equality.

To further support the global cause of women, I’d like to make the following announcement: In the next five years, China will donate another 10 million US dollars to UN Women; earmark a quota of 100 million US dollars in China’s Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund for implementing development cooperation projects for women and girls in collaboration with international organisations; launch 1,000 “small and beautiful” livelihood programs with Chinese assistance that take women and girls as priority beneficiaries; invite 50,000 women to China for exchange and training programs; and establish a Global Center for Women’s Capacity Building, which is aimed at conducting capacity building and other development cooperation with relevant countries and international organisations to train more female talent.

We publish below the text of Xi Jinping’s speech, originally published in Xinhua, as well as a recently published detailed white paper from China’s State Council Information Office, entitled China’s Achievements in Women’s Well-Rounded Development in the New Era, originally published in English on Global Times.

Carrying Forward the Spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women and Promoting the New and Accelerated Process for Women’s All-Round Development

Keynote Address by H.E. Xi Jinping President of the People’s Republic of Chin at the Opening Ceremony of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, Beijing, October 13, 2025

Distinguished Colleagues and Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Continue reading China makes firm commitment to advancing the cause of women’s equality at a global level

China’s progress proves socialism is the only viable framework for saving the planet

The following is the text of a presentation given by Carlos Martinez to the Fourth World Congress on Marxism, which took place on 11-12 October 2025 at Peking University (PKU), China, organised by PKU’s School of Marxism.

The presentation gives an overview of the progress made by China in recent years with regard to clean energy, and poses the question: why is it China, rather than the advanced capitalist countries, that has emerged as the world’s only ‘green superpower’? Carlos argues that the fundamental reason lies in China’s economy being “structured in such a way that political and economic priorities are determined not by capital’s drive for constant expansion but by the needs and aspirations of the people.”

On the other hand, “the balance of power in capitalist countries is such that even relatively progressive governments find it very difficult to prioritise long-term needs of the population over short-term interests of capital.”

Carlos notes that, as a result of its systematic investment in renewable energy, electric vehicles, transmission systems, batteries and more, China has become the first country to meaningfully break the link between economic development and greenhouse gas emissions. “While governments in the West justify inaction on climate on the basis that it would harm economic growth, China is the first country to make the green transition a powerful driver of economic growth, thereby addressing both the immediate needs of the Chinese people for modernisation and the long-term needs of humanity for a habitable planet.”

China’s progress is set to have a profound global impact. As a result of Chinese innovations and economies of scales, there has been a global reduction in costs, such that for much of the world, solar and wind power are now more cost effective than fossil fuels.

And for those of us in the advanced capitalist countries, where political power is dominated by a decaying bourgeoisie, China’s example can be used to help create mass pressure to stop our governments and ruling classes from destroying the planet, and to encourage sensible cooperation with China on environmental issues.

The Congress featured an impressive array of Marxist academics and authors, including Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University; Li Yi, Vice President of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (National Academy of Governance); John Bellamy Foster, Editor-in-Chief of Monthly Review; Cheng Enfu, Professor, School of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Radhika Desai, Professor, University of Manitoba; Roland Boer, Professor, Renmin University of China; Pham Van Duc, Professor, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; and Gabriel Rockhill, Professor, Villanova University. The Congress has been reported on CGTN, including brief video interviews with Carlos Martinez and Radhika Desai.

We will never again seek economic growth at the cost of the environment. (Xi Jinping)

There is a prevailing prejudice in the West that China is a climate criminal – the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and a country that continues to build coal-fired power stations. This connects to a wider perception of socialist governance as being antithetical to environmental protection.

And yet China’s remarkable progress over the last two decades in tackling pollution, protecting biodiversity and developing clean energy is causing this narrative to fall apart.

China has recently passed a historic milestone in its energy transition: cumulative installed solar capacity has exceeded 1 terawatt, representing 45 percent of the global total and far outstripping the United States and European Union.

At the United Nations climate summit in September, President Xi Jinping announced that China was committing to cut carbon dioxide and other pollution by at least 7 to 10 percent by 2035 – the first time that China has set a concrete target for reducing emissions as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.

Credible evidence suggests that China’s greenhouse gas emissions have already peaked, five years earlier than promised.

Since 2013, China’s solar installed capacity has increased by a factor of 180, while wind power capacity has grown sixfold.

China dominates the global green technology supply chain, producing the overwhelming majority of solar modules, wafers, and battery components.

Continue reading China’s progress proves socialism is the only viable framework for saving the planet

KJ Noh: Washington has been preparing for war with China for over a decade

This wide-ranging interview with political analyst KJ Noh on India and Global Left centres on China’s geopolitical role, the US’s evolving imperial strategy, and the urgent need for solidarity among the nations of the Global South.

KJ begins by responding to the criticism that China is not doing enough to end the genocide in Palestine. He states bluntly: “let’s be clear – no country is doing enough. We are witnessing a live-streamed genocide – children are starving, journalists and doctors are being killed, and an entire population is being besieged and starved. This cannot and should not be tolerated.”

Nonetheless, he contends that blaming third parties such as China diverts responsibility from the Western powers funding, arming and shielding Israel. “In reality, this is not just an Israeli genocide — it is a US-led imperial genocide, with Israel acting as the subcontractor. The project of colonisation and control of West Asia’s resources is part of a larger imperial strategy.”

Regarding China’s position, KJ notes that China was one of the first countries to recognise the State of Palestine, and has long supported its liberation struggle. China last year hosted reconciliation talks among 14 Palestinian factions and has explicitly backed the right of occupied peoples to armed resistance. He further argues that China’s approach is constrained by international structures it cannot unilaterally override.

Turning to US policy and the unfolding New Cold War, KJ asserts that Washington has been preparing for war with China since at least 2009, when the “Air-Sea Battle” doctrine was formulated — a continuation of its “Shock and Awe” strategy of pre-emptive decapitation. He describes a three-stage process of escalation: information warfare, military positioning and provocation, warning that the US now considers tactical nuclear weapons usable. The US, he argues, seeks proxies such as Taiwan Province, the Philippines and South Korea to wage a regional war that could quickly turn nuclear.

To avoid becoming proxy battlegrounds, KJ urges that countries of the Global South build sovereignty — digital, financial, energy, and territorial — and strengthen mutual alliances such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

China and World War II: why should we remember?

In the following article, which originally appeared in the Morning Star, Jenny Clegg reflects on the abiding lessons to be drawn from China’s role in the allied victory over fascism in World War II. She points out:

“That China was the first country to resist fascist aggression, its most consistent opponent, fighting for 14 years (1931-45) at a cost of some 35 million casualties, is little understood in Britain: for most people the victory of WWII was won by the West.

“In fact, the Chinese people’s resistance held down some 50 to 60 per cent of Japan’s forces which otherwise would have been used to intensify the fighting in the Pacific and Burma theatres, even opening up a second front against the USSR. Had the USSR not been able to concentrate all its forces against Hitler, the Allies’ war in Europe could well have been lost.”

Jenny, whose father Arthur Clegg led the work of the China Campaign Committee in the 1930s and 1940s, was one of the delegation of family members of those foreign friends and comrades who supported the Chinese people during the war, who were invited to Beijing to attend the 80th anniversary commemoration of victory. She notes:

“China’s display of military defence on September 3 was in total contrast to its weak and divided state in the 1930s in the face of Japanese aggression, a reassurance to the Chinese people that their sacrifices of over eighty years ago would not occur again.”

Chinese society itself was transformed in the course of the war: “Class and gender relations were shattered as the Westernised city-elites began to rebuild their lives in the semi-feudal hinterland, the urban and the rural mixing together… Forging close links between the party, army and rural population, Mao saw resistance as integral to the revolutionary process, transforming the national democratic movement in due course into a social revolution.”

Today: “We cannot understand international developments without understanding the rise of China, and we cannot understand China without understanding both its transformation through war and its transformative role in WWII.”

Jenny presented a similar analysis in her contribution to the webinar on ‘World War Against Fascism: Remembering China’s Role in Victory 80 Years On’, organised by Friends of Socialist China and the International Manifesto Group on September 21.

At China’s Victory Day parade on September 3, Xi Jinping delivered a warning — the world stands at a crossroads between peace and war, and to prevent a catastrophic conflict engulfing the world again, nations must learn from history.

That China was the first country to resist fascist aggression, its most consistent opponent, fighting for 14 years (1931-45) at a cost of some 35 million casualties, is little understood in Britain: for most people the victory of WWII was won by the West.

In fact the Chinese people’s resistance held down some 50 to 60 per cent of Japan’s forces which otherwise would have been used to intensify the fighting in the Pacific and Burma theatres, even opening up a second front against the USSR. Had the USSR not been able to concentrate all its forces against Hitler, the Allies’ war in Europe could well have been lost.

Japan’s expansion into the Pacific in 1941 forced Churchill and Roosevelt to recognise China as an ally and an equal. Britain abrogated the Unequal Treaties (barring Hong Kong) in January 1943, and, as an allied power, China became a founding member of the United Nations in 1945. Why has all this been forgotten in the West and why should we remember this today?

China’s display of military defence on September 3 was in total contrast to its weak and divided state in the 1930s in the face of Japanese aggression, a reassurance to the Chinese people that their sacrifices of over eighty years ago would not occur again.

China’s war dates from Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931, an aggression which shattered the League of Nations’ fragile structure of peace. Local resistance was brutally suppressed but Chiang Kaishek chose instead to concentrate his forces against the CPC’s bases.

Beyond words of condemnation, the world’s major powers took no action, emboldening Japan and the forces of fascism worldwide further. Japan’s invasion of 1937, following the 1936 German-Japan Anti-Comintern pact, was an act of world war. Under pressure from the left wing of the KMT, Chiang ended the anti-communist drive, joining the CPC-initiated United Front to resist the aggression.

The Chinese people stood virtually alone. While Britain leaned towards appeasement, even closing China’s supply route along the Burma Road in 1940, US loans came too little and too late. For a couple of years, the USSR supplied military and financial aid, sending advisers and volunteer pilots under a secret agreement with the KMT. The heroic 10-month stand of Wuhan in 1938 against grinding Japanese savagery, gained China a high international profile.

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